Attending the Alburtis Borough Council meeting Feb. 28 with concerns and complaints about Sand Alley were Hal Rittenhouse and Snip Reinbold and his wife. They are residents of Sand Alley.

Reinbold told council he calls it “Mud Alley” because there is so much mud he cannot keep his car clean. Rittenhouse claimed there are deep ruts, sometimes filled with eight to 12 inches of mud. Their complaint was also related to an unnamed citizen who destroyed Rittenhouse’s flowerbed by driving into it when he backs up. He parks his car in his own yard and leaves up his Easter and Christmas decorations. The alley is partially paved and they want this problem fixed. Rittenhouse claimed if council does not do something they will, as they have been to a lawyer.

Borough Manager Sharon Trexler advised Rittenhouse and Reinbold an inspector did a drive-by and saw an uninspected vehicle.

Trexler said this is a conservation district issue. Council President Ron DeIaco will talk to Maintenance Supervisor Donnie Derr and see what can be done at the alley. Other suggestions included passing an ordinance requiring a base to park the car on in a yard, contacting Lehigh Valley Conservation District to see if they can do something and putting rock down.

Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong introduced himself to council and said he is attending all area meetings, expecting it will take until June to get everywhere. He asked if there were any shovel ready projects but was told there were none right now.

“The county is looking at infrastructure repair but they are not doing politics, they are doing what is right,” Armstrong said adding the federal government is looking at infrastructure also.

“If you need anything, we will be there for you. Quality of life issues are very important,” Armstrong said.

He spoke briefly about a $5 fee per car in the borough to buy a $20,000,000 bond, depending on how many cars there are in the borough. Attendee John Aleszczyk did not agree with this idea claiming it’s already in the gas tax. Armstrong then claimed people are buying less gas because of buying electric cars and it is not a tax it is a fee. Others did not agree and thought of it as another tax.

A letter was received from Stacy C. Milo, program coordinator of Lehigh County, about Housing and Urban Development for the Community Development Block Grant program, showing the 2018 allocation estimated to be $1,100,000 and a list of municipalities who can apply. Alburtis is not on the list. Council said they believe the borough should be on the list and Armstrong agreed.

In other business, Mayor Kathleen Palmer reported Police Chief Robert Palmer told her background checks will no longer be done locally. Only state police can do background checks.

Trexler reported the cost of claims on the dump truck and another claim was $500, the amount of their deductible.

The snowblower request from maintenance was tabled until the March 14 meeting so they can get more information.

Trexler reported being notified the borough was approved to participate in the Department of General Services statewide contract for sodium chloride (road salt for the August to July 2019).

Borough Treasurer Chris A. DeFrain was notified $82.82 will be deposited for the borough’s municipality tavern games tax for 2017. The borough was notified its liquid fuels tax fund payment from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will be $66,298.72.

Macungie Ambulance Corps reported they responded to 335 calls and eight of the calls were in Alburtis Borough. They also announced their 1,800 square foot building addition is finished. The corps previously had seven bays for emergency vehicles; they now have 11 bays.